End of Watch is arguably one of the best cop buddy movies I have ever seen. A raw, gritty, and emotionally charged ride along with two patrol cops in one of the roughest precincts in Los Angeles. The film is more about the bond between the two officers than the action that surrounds them. It is simultaneously intense and touching and impossible not to walk away from this film emotionally drained.
The style of this film is interesting as it is shot all through hand held cam corders and dash board cams. An interesting (and inexpensive) movie effect started by “The Blair Witch Project’ and one I thought lost after the annoying and vertigo inducing ‘Cloverfield’. In this film it works surprising well, giving an air of real time urgency. The story follows the lives of hot shot patrolmen Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Peña) who are living a life of young gun glory in the mean streets of Los Angeles. Their modest fame takes a sinister turn when, after a routine traffic stop, they run afoul of a Mexican drug lord who puts a contract out on their heads.
Again, the plot is definitely riveting and intense, but the true draw of this movie is the relationship of the two cops. Some of the most meaningful dialogue is shot through the patrol cruisers dashboard cams (facing inward) and much of the conversation is bickering. Despite all the fighting and insults, you can sense the deep fraternal love they have for each other and you know each would die for the other. It takes skilled actors to strike the right balance and both of Gyllenhaal and Peña deliver. I have been a fan of Peña since the dark comedy ‘Observe and Report’. It’s nice to see him starting to get top billing and showing that he can do a variety of roles. I predict he will be a major player in the future.
A shorn Gyllenhaal plays the tough cop Taylor convincingly (much to my surprise). He and Zavala’s friendship transcend their diverse racial backgrounds. Their cultural differences are a source of friction and amusement and provides some of the film’s best dialogue. There is nothing more uniting than when we can enjoy and laugh at our differences instead of trying to ignore them in a politically correct world. The two friends are unfiltered in their mocking of each other and constantly try to one up each other to the point of friction, but just as quickly as the irritation builds it burst with fits of laughter when one or the other realizes he has been bested.
However; don’t expect a light hearted cop buddy movie like ‘Lethal Weapon’. The scenes of violence are intense and terrifying (given gritty realism and horror by the filming technique). We get insight into the lives of gang members who are directed by the drug lord with killing the two hero cops and instead of humanizing them, it leaves us feeling dirty with the evil in which they live their lives. It’s also interesting to see how different law enforcement agencies operate in silos and they don’t always know what the other is doing. Federal authorities are portrayed as mysterious and enigmatic. The relationship dynamics with other policemen are the same as you would find in any work place environment.
Overall, I highly recommend this film. It’s an intense an powerful movie that works more due to the relationship between the two buddies than as an action film. Well done and performances to be proud of.
I give this film *** 1/2 stars.
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